Blood Fate
by Aloria
Summary: Set after Vampire Hunter D, BloodLust, this is the story of another Dhampire and her journey to find out how to truly live in the world as it is. [unfinished because I need inspiration and to know more about this universe.]
1. Maya's Delema

Blood Fate  
  
My First Vampire Hunter D fanfic!  
  
Stupidity might ensue. ANGST may occur. NPCs will die. ^_^.V, You have been warned.  
  
On another note, forgive me if D isn't IC, this _IS_ my first fanfic about him, after all, and you can assume that because I'm writing about him, he (and his fantastic bod) are in my Bishonen harem, poooor Zelgadis and Sephiroth!  
  
~~  
  
The sun glared down upon the dusty town that sat just on the edge of a wide river that flowed south. It wasn't a sleepy town, in fact, it was a rather expansive trade depot that had a wide variety of people wandering about its streets.. It was just too hot to be outside.  
  
Some of the older folk in the further out regions of the city were sitting out on their shaded porches in chairs with fans and glasses of iced water or tea, maybe even a few had a bottle of whisky, but that was their business what they preferred to drink. Maya, on the other hand, was interested in what SHE wanted to drink- of course, her want wasn't exactly by conscious choice.  
  
The incredibly pale girl was sitting in the far back corner of the restaurant that supposedly served the best ravioli in the world, staring at the plate of stuffed noodle with a generous helping of special sauce that was deep red and runny with the occasional spice and chunks of tomato in it.  
  
Her dark hair fell forward over her shoulders and formed a curtain over her face as she slowly leaned forward, one slender pale hand pushing her plate forward and away from her as her body trembled from her efforts to suppress the incredible urge.  
  
Finally, she resorted to sinking her elongated teeth into one of her hands and let her forehead rest on the table. She squeezed her watery blue eyes closed as she clenched her jaw, tasting her own blood, but this did not satisfy her, no, she wanted someone else. ANYONE else would do, fresh blood.  
  
A waitress took notice to their quiet customer in the back, and made her way over, the neck of her uniform dress unbuttoned and showing part of her fleshy and somewhat sweaty chest. "Ma'am, are you alright?" she asked, leaning forward to touch Maya's shoulder.  
  
Slowly, Maya nodded, speaking around her hand as the blood dripped down her arm, "Yeth... I'mm finne."  
  
The waitress's eyes followed a drop of blood to the floor between Maya's feet and she stepped back, "You- you're bleeding- are you sure you're alright?" She leaned forward again, her eyes wide, general concern in all her movements.  
  
Maya unlatched her teeth from her hand finally, "Yes... Just.. bring me... a glass of water and a- napkin or something and... take that away please..." she gestured with her other hand at the ravioli and went back to clutching the table. She didn't dare look up at the waitress, or the rest of the room, which had gone incredibly silent for some reason.  
  
The waitress took a step back, "You- you're a-" Apparently, things had connected for her and she realized what she'd been talking to. Maya slowly lifted her head to look at the waitress, her eyes wide and tears in them.  
  
"Please- don't be scared of me! I've never hurt anyone! It's not my fault! I-" her eyes finally focused and she stared at the scene before her. The many strangers in the restaurant were dressed lightly, all with plenty of skin showing, they were also all staring at her. The waitress was wearing a black and white short frilly dress with much of her neck exposed by the open collar. Maya slapped her hands over her mouth and gasped out, "Excuse me-" and bolted for the door before she did anything to anyone.  
  
She kept running until her legs finally gave out on her and she slammed against a dusty brick wall, turning to face it and falling to her knees. Maya sobbed for breath, clutching the wall as her legs slid and she made an `M' shape with them on the ground.  
  
"It- It's just not fair!" she sobbed, the tears streaming down her pale face. "I didn't ask to be like this! Why- why do I have to be hurt all the time?!" she beat her fists against the wall futilely in an attempt to release some of the pain she felt inside. "Why do I have to suffer because of the actions of so many others?! I haven't hurt anyone! I've never -" she broke down into harder sobs and put her head against the wall as blood dripped down her arm from her still wounded hand.  
  
She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Hey, missy, whatcha cryin about?" asked a voice that seemed to belong to an elderly woman. "No need t' beat on m' wall, now," she said, reaching a gnarled hand for Maya's bleeding one. "Not when yer bleedin like that." The girl hung her head, sniffling, her almost waist length midnight black hair hanging forward to cover her face. Slowly, the old woman pulled at the girl's hand, making her get to her feet and follow the old woman inside the house. Maya didn't lift her head, instead, gazed at the hardwood floor at her feet as she was led along and into a linoleum floored kitchen.  
  
"Lets just get this cleaned off now..."  
  
"Why?" Maya asked from under her curtain of tangled black hair.  
  
The old woman lifted her wrinkled face from where she was carefully washing off Maya's hand and arm with cool water. "Hmm?" she asked, her voice raspy with age and possibly smoking, "Why what, dearie?"  
  
"Why are you... doing this... don't you hate me? Aren't you afraid of me? Don't you just want me and all Vampires and halfbreeds to just die?" she asked slowly, almost emotionlessly.  
  
The old woman's hands slowed in their careful cleaning and bandaging and she turned her dark brown and wrinkle hidden eyes toward the girl. For a long time, the woman didn't answer and Maya lifted her head, daring to peek at the woman's face for her answer. Once the girl had locked eyes with the much older woman's, the woman spoke. "My dearie, all I see is a little girl who needs help," she stated and turned back to her bandaging as more tears seeped from Maya's eyes.  
  
The old woman turned her attention to cleaning Maya's face next, "No need to cry, dearie, I don't hate you. You don't seem to be the type to hurt anyone anyway."  
  
"You.. really think so?" Maya asked hopefully but turned her eyes downward once more. "I- I just wish that I could... that someone would.. hug me and that I wouldn't want to bite them! I didn't even know what I was until.. until this started happening... I thought I was normal. Now... I just want to be normal."  
  
The old woman carefully smoothed Maya's hair back from her face, "There there, young one." She said gently, a smile coming to her wrinkled and sagging lips. "Perhaps there is one who can help you?" Maya's eyes widened and she felt her hopes rising for the first time in three years.  
  
"Who? Who is it?" she asked, trying to keep her excitement down.  
  
The old woman's smile broadened. "They say there's a vampire hunter... best there is..." Maya felt her hope dimming but the old woman continued. "They say, he's a Dhampire."  
  
"If I wanted to die.. I'd just do it myself..." Maya said sourly.  
  
The old woman chuckled, "Perhaps he can teach you to live?" she suggested and Maya blinked, returning her gaze to the somewhat pudgy wrinkled face. "Teach you how to control yourself without resorting to.." she gestured at Maya's bandaged hand.  
  
Unexpectedly, Maya could feel her hopes rising once more. If anyone would understand her, it would be another Dhampire. "Who is he? How can I find him?"  
  
The old woman heaved a sigh, "I'm afraid that I've only heard of him, but perhaps you could find someone with more than what I've said if you ask around?"  
  
Maya felt her tears about to start again and she suddenly leapt forward and hugged the old woman, too overwhelmed with emotion to think of the blood pumping just beneath her hands. "Oh thank you!" she about gushed. "Thank you so much." She gave another gentle squeeze to the woman before letting go and smiling at her face.  
  
"Yes-yes," the old woman chuckled, "but I'd suggest leaving before people start realizing what you are, there're so many folks around that can't handle things as well as I can." She gently petted Maya's hand and stood, leading the girl back through the small and rather dull house and to the front door.  
  
Maya paused, looking at the old woman, "How is it that you can accept me-?"  
  
The old woman laughed, "You ask too many questions, girl," she stated, "Now get, before the sheriff comes looking for you." Reluctantly, Maya nodded and turned from the old woman's house, heading down the street at a jog, she glanced back once, but found the old woman had gone back inside. 


	2. Maya starts on her journey again

Maya walked the streets, looking around at everything as she went. Thankfully, her little incident in the restaurant hadn't spread far, but people were still giving her weird looks. Pausing at a fountain in the center of a square, she turned her face up toward the sun, her eyes closed lightly as she felt a light brush of air across her skin.  
  
Suddenly, pain flared over her flesh everywhere the sun touched and she doubled over, clutching her face and turning toward the well. The pain was still there, but not as intense. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked into her reflection in the water, looking at the blister that was forming on her cheek. "Maybe.. I should get some gloves and a hat or something?" she murmured, gazing at her fingers. They too were turning bright red. "Too bad I don't have much money left..." A few people paused to look at her oddly but no one bothered her.  
  
Slowly, she perched on the edge of the fountain, thinking, "To buy a hat or save it for food?" The sky was still rather clear, but some of the heat had abated and people were starting to emerge to trade, sell, and buy at the various stores and stalls being set up in the square.  
  
She let her hand drift down to touch the water, flicking her fingers through it and mostly ignoring the world around her. A shadow fell across her and she didn't react, just sitting and softly started humming to herself some random song. The crowd in the square increased over the few minutes she sat there and soon the place was teaming with people and noise as the sun began to set.  
  
Something hard poked her in the back at that moment, causing her to scream immediately. Jumping to her feet, Maya spun around to face a man wearing a grey-brown shirt and dark pants with high boots and a badge on his left breast- with his gun pointed at her. Her eyes widened briefly as she watched him lift his gun up to aim at her. "I- I haven't done anything! What did I do? If you think I stole something you can check my bag-" she looked down and around her, realizing that she didn't HAVE her bag anymore. "It's gone....I left it at the restaurant," she said mournfully, "But either way I haven't stolen anything!" she gave a strained and very nervous smile, "No need to point that at me!" She lifted her blistered hands in a placating gesture and tried to back up, finding herself pressed against the edge of the fountain.  
  
The sheriff frowned his eyes narrowing under the brim of his wide hat, "You're a Dhampire," he stated, "And where there're those, there's likely to be vampires around." He cocked his gun. "We don't like your kind around here.  
  
Maya's eyes widened in response. "But- I- I -it's not my fault!" she couldn't lie about what she obviously was and tears came to her eyes. A portion of her mind noted that she'd been crying a lot since her mother had been stoned to death. "Why won't anyone help me instead of trying to kill me all the time! I - I just want-" she sniffled, feeling her tears seeping down her face and stinging in the blisters there. She clenched her fists under her chin and screamed, "I just want to be accepted!"  
  
All motion in the square halted as more people turned to see what was going on. The gun suddenly went off and Maya, startled, jumped back from the sheriff, falling into the fountain with a great splash. Thrashing, she finally managed to sit up in the water and gasp for air. Maya opened her eyes to find the sheriff pointing his gun at her once more.  
  
"Quit your fake tears, Dhampire," he spat, unaffected- or tried to look that way. Maya stared up at him.  
  
"Do you treat all your kids like this?" she asked him.  
  
The sheriff's dark brown eyes narrowed, his face slightly sweaty and his hand shaking as he watched her. "What does that have to do with this?"  
  
Maya stared at him, "And how old do you think _I_ am?!" she demanded. His expression gave her the answer and her anger flared, "I'm only SIXTEEN!" she shouted, "SIXTEEN! If you want I can tell you when I was born if that's proof?" she looked at all the people staring at her. "And you people just let some jerk like him push kids around like this?" she demanded of them. "You let him threaten them and scare them half to death?! Doesn't that scare YOU? If _HE'S_ allowed to do that to your kids, who ELSE are you letting push you around?!" Her dark blue woolen cloak was dragging at her neck and shoulders, soggy and starting to smell of wet animal, her home-spun clothes clung to her body and though she wasn't well developed and half starving, (on a better day) she fancied that she was something worth looking at.  
  
The girl could feel her stomach seize up into a knot and she didn't know where her words were coming from, or if they were even listening, she only knew that she'd had enough of people chasing her out of towns. Finally, she stood up in the fountain, dripping wet, but looking around her at the people. "If you hate vampires so much, then why do you let your own kind be so evil to you? You say vampires have done evil things to you, and yet you do the same to each other and to those who have nothing to do with any of it! HYPOCRITES!" at her last word, many people backed up from her, even the sheriff. A light breeze stirred and Maya shivered. "I can count on one hand the amount of NICE human's I've met!" she stated and slowly went through her mind. "And that number is two. My mother and a nice old woman who is the only one who has helped me since my mom was killed- by hypocrites like you!" Maya could feel the pain in her heart as the scene of her mother's death played through her  
mind. How she'd begged for them to not hurt her daughter. They hadn't listened and Maya had only just escaped with her life.  
  
She was trembling, and she felt that everyone could see that. "If.. anyone could tell me how I could find or get in contact with that famous Dhampire hunter I'd much appreciate it."  
  
No one said a word. Silently, she nodded and stepped out of the fountain, walking towards the north gate of the city. She knew she wouldn't be able to buy any new clothes, food, or even get her bag back in this city after what she'd said. Maybe one day they would see how cruel they truly were? Fat chance, but Maya could hope.  
  
A path opened up before her as she squished her way out of the square, though, once within the streets, she didn't get such treatment, instead people pushed past her and bumped into her.  
  
Maya hung her head as she walked, not really watching where she was going, but suddenly, someone slammed into her and she found a bag shoved into her hands. She lifted her eyes and looked around to find who had almost knocked her over and only found herself holding a bag. Looking down at it, she realized that it was her own bag, the one she'd left in the restaurant. A smile touched her lips and she sniffled, shouldering the bag and continued on out of the city. She left a trail of water and wet footprints all along the streets. 


End file.
